The reference to the Lord's thirteen attributes of mercy in Nahum 1:3a is often interpreted as a re-reading meant to minimize the Lord's mercy and emphasize his wrath. This article shows that the quote originates from Numbers 14:17–18 while maintaining an allusion to Exodus 34:6–7.
Jeremiah 22:24–30 plays an important role in understanding Haggai 2:20–23. This essay interacts with the ideas of Wolter Rose and John Kessler, and concludes that Haggai 2:20–23 embodies a manto-typological exegesis of the Jeremianic tradition.
How does the psalm of Jonah function in the narrative context of Jonah 2? This study evaluates the issues of interpretation and argues for the integrative nature of the psalm of Jonah in its narrative context.
What is the function of the voice of Leviticus in Daniel 9? Levitical terminology and thought-forms pervade the chapter. This essay argues that intertextual sensitivity to the Leviticus connections in Daniel 9 can make the reader sensitive for new insights in the theological perspective of the chapter.
This study considers the placement of the book of Lamentations in different historical lists of the biblical canon and its implications for the evaluation and interpretation of the book. Lamentations is found in two different positions in the Greek and Hebrew canons.
What is the meaning and function of the reference to the "seventy sevens" to which Daniel 9:24 refers? This study reads the text in the light of a number of Qumran sources. It concludes that these sources refer to the "seventy sevens" as primarily theological expressions rather than a temporal marker.
What does the high density of women appearing in the Elijah-Elisha narrative contribute to the text? This study calls attention to three socio-religious and theological themes in 1 Kings 17-2 Kings 13: food-famine, life-death, and orthodoxy-idolatry.
What do we make of the explanation that Elihu offers for the suffering of Job, since nothing Elihu says seems to come close to describing what happened in the prologue. This article suggests that the account in the prologue is not intended to give a rationale for Job's extensive suffering. The author argues that Elihu's contribution presents a non-retributive reason for Job's suffering, which could mean that ultimately, Elihu's account might be correct.
This study offers a reconstruction of the identity and message of Deborah as prophetess in Judges 4.
How should the phrase "a man after God's own heart" in 1 Samuel 13:14 be understood? According to this article, it is a reference to the election of David as king over Israel rather than a reference to the moral qualities of David. It serves to distinguish David from Saul as God's choice.
What is the role Job 28 plays in its larger literary context and what is its main message or theme? In its endeavour to answer these questions, the article offers a close reading of the chapter.
Song of Songs 8:6 compares love with a flame. This article proposes that the image is used to both define and limit the expression of that love.
What is the theological significance of the execution of the Gibeonites recorded in 2 Samuel 21:1-14? In this study, it is argued that the picture that emerges from 2 Samuel is one of King David as a shrewd monarch righting past wrongs and preparing his kingdom for his successor.
What is the significance of Abraham planting a tamarisk tree in Beersheba according to Genesis 21:33? This article argues for the possibility that Abraham plants the tamarisk to zone off the area around his altar in Beersheba as an outdoor shrine.
What is the identity of the valiant woman in Proverbs 31:10-31? Should the life of the ancient successful woman be understood as speaking of social activities in Israel? Should it be limited to religious virtues relevant to Israel?
This is a review article of Der Gott der Lebendigen (God of the Living), co-authored by Hermann Spieckermann and Reinhard Feldmeier. This review regards as a success the attempt of the authors to demonstrate the value of writing a theology in which the attributes of God are the point of departure.
What is the function of the law on remarriage in Deuteronomy 24:1-4? This article argues that the long history of discussion on the purpose for the law seems to have been misguided. It calls attention to the explicitly stated purpose of the law in verse 4. The concern of this law on divorce and remarriage is to protect the covenant relationship between Israel and Yahweh. In this way, Israel’s position in the land of Canaan is protected.
There are a number of instances in the Old Testament where "elohim" (“God, god”) is accurately translated by the plural (“gods”). Some instances are used of an Israelite divine assembly or divine council under the authority of Yahweh (Psalm 82:1). This raises the question whether the divine plural in the Old Testament is a demonstration of an evolution in the religion of Israel from polytheism to monotheism.
